Sign



Fel'a. 27, 1940.

A. METREGER SIGN Filed Feb. 25, 1959 Patented Feb. 27,v 1940 UNITED STATE-s sierra Fries rTE'p Signs, 1110., Illinois Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Application February 25, 1939, Serial No. 258,495

2 Claims.

This invention relates to signs and more particularly to reflecting signs that are intended to have a. high visibility by daylight and have high light reflecting properties so as to render them highly visible by reflected light as frornthe headlights of an approaching automobile.

Construction work on highways is fraught with danger both to the men working onthe highway and to approaching motorists. It is customary to erect signs on or adjacent the road at a distance "from the place where the work is progressing or where the road has been rendered impassable or dangerous, said signs depending upon reflection of light from the headlights of approaching vehicles to render them visible. It is essential that such signs have very high reflecting properties so that they may be visible from a great distance. It is also essential that such signs be reliable in their action and not subject to rapid deterioration by the weather.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sign which may be placed on or adjacent a. highway to warn motorists of the dangerous condition ahead, which sign shall be reliable in its action, shall be weather-proof, water-tight, and not subject to deterioration by sunshine, wind, hail, snow, sleet, or the-like. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a sign wherein the words, or other signal indicia to be conveyed, are capable of reflecting a large amount of incident light from the headlights of approaching vehicles and wherein the background of said indicia also has high reflecting properties. The indicia and the background are made of distinctly different colors, as, for instance, white or silver colored indicia on an intensely red background, where both the white or silver color and the red are of very high reflecting properties. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sign of the above character having a transparent Water-proof cover which is not affected by sunshine, rain or'sleet, and which can be removed and replaced in the event of mechanical injury to said cover. It is a still further object of the .present invention to provide a sign which is economical of construction and may be easily and quickly mounted in place.

The attainment of the above and further obj'ects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in con-- junctiin withthe accompanying drawing forming a partthereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front View ofa sign embodying the principles of the present invention with portions of the sign broken away to illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure-2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional *5 view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1 and looking'in the direction of the arrows; I

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of the sign of Figure l, the thickness of certain parts being greatly ex- 0 aggerated for the sake of illustration; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged front View of the'surface of the letter forming material.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the sign of the present invention com- 1- prises a metal back i made, preferably, of sheet steel of any desired thickness as, for instance,

22 i028 gauge in the preferred construction. A metal foil'sheet 2 is adhesively secured to the front surface of the back i. The metal foil sheet consists of a paper sheet 3 having a suitable adhesive at the back surface and having metal foil'applied to the front surface thereof. The composite sheet 2 comprising the foil, paper, and adhesive 4 is of a thickness slightly in excess of 25 the thickness of a sheet of newspaper. The front surface of the foil 2 is preferably of a danger indicating color, such as red. The mucilage 4 is moistened with water and the sheet is pasted to the steel back i. present instance spelling out the word Danger, are then pasted to thefront of the metal foil sheet 2. The letters consist of a paper backing Hi surfaced at the front side with metal foil 8 and at the back with a suitable adhesive 5 l. The entire thickness of the composite letter sheet 8 is slightly'in excess of that of a sheet of ordinary newspaper. It is preferacl that themetal foil of the letter 8 be of a color contrasting with the red color of the foil 2. The silver color is 40 suitable for the foil ll. The foil constituting the letters is of the type known as Silver Circle Foil and is characterized by the fact that the front surface of the metal foil has a very large number of adjacent small circles 52 formed thereon, each circlehaving a large number of swirls l3 corresponding to the swirls formed in an ink fingerprint impression, These circles or 3 swirls greatly facilitate the reflection of light Individual letters 8, in the 30 especially at the corners of the letters, a sheet 15 is adhesively secured over all'of the letters and over adjacent parts of the foil 2. The cover sheet [5 is colorless and transparent andcomprises an acetate very similar to thin Celluloid. It is approximately 0.002 inch thick, is substantially fire-proof, and does not discolor under the action of sunlight for long periods of time. The cover sheet I5 is gummed at the back sothat by moistening the back of this sheet it may be adhesively secured to the metal foil sheet 2. The cover sheet l5 maintains the letters of the sign fiat against the foil 2 and seals the letters to the metal foil sheet 2.

Covering the entire front of the sign is a rather thick sheet 20 comprising a colorless transparent acetate similar to thin Celluloid except that it is fully transparent, does not appreciably contract or expand and is not affected by sunshine over long periods of time. This material is known in the trade as 10 point Lumrith or Kodapak and is of a thickness approximately 0.010 inch. The sheet 20 adds thickness or depth to the sign. After the sheet 20 has been placed in position the edges of the steel back i are bent forward and then downwardly to overlie the sheet 20, as indicated at 22, the edges being pinched downward to effect substantially a sealing action. Mounting eyelets 23 are then inserted in place.

Because of the two contrasting colors, both of high reflecting metal foil, the sign is easily discernible at an appreciable distance at night by the light of the headlights of an approaching automobile. At great distances only the red background of the sign is discernible which, of course, indicates danger. Slightly closer the insignia 8 appears black on a red background. At still closer distances, say approximately onequarter to one-half of a block, the letters are discernible as bright silver or white letters by the light reflected therefrom.

The front surface of the sheet 2 is originally smooth. If it is desired to maintain a smooth front surface 2 in the finished sign the adhesive 4 is moistened sparingly and the excess water is pressed out before the adhesive 4 has bonded the sheet to the back I. If a roughened front surface of the foil 2 is desired as indicated, that red metal background need not be of octagonal l0 shape. arrow.

While I have herein described my invention in the form of silver circle foil letters superimposed It may also be in the form of a larger upon the red foil background, the reverse ar- 16 rangement may be used if desired. The cover sheet l5 would also be used in such an arrangement.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrativenoftl ie principles of the invention. What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A reflecting sign comprising a supporting back, a metalv foil sheet adhesively secured to said back, metal foil insignia adhesively secured to said sheet, a transparent membrane covering the insignia and adhesively secured to said metal foil sheet, a transparent cover for said membrane and foil, and means sealing the transparent cover and the back to form a closed envelope for said foil.

2. A reflecting sign comprising a supporting sheet metal back, a paper-backed reflecting foil Sheet pasted on the metal back, paper-backed metal foil insignia pasted on the first mentioned foil and of a distinctly different color therefrom, I said insignia foil having corrugations in the form of swirls formed on the reflecting surface thereof, a membranous transparent sheet covering said insignia and pasted on said first mentioned 011, a flexible transparent cover sheet for said foil, and means securing the cover sheet and supporting sheet together to form a closed envelope for the first mentioned foil sheet and the insignia.

ALAN ME'IREGER... I 

